


The Kiss

by AutisticWriter



Series: Del and Trigger [3]
Category: Only Fools and Horses
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ficlet, First Kiss, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 09:37:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13972290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutisticWriter/pseuds/AutisticWriter
Summary: When Del arrives at his house in a right state, Trigger ends up telling Del about his feelings for him.





	The Kiss

“Colin! Derek’s here!”

Trigger dropped his exercise book and pen on his bed and hurried out of his room and down the stairs, glad to have an excuse to stop doing his homework. His O Levels were going to start next week, and he was certain he was going to fail them. So it didn’t really matter if he didn’t revise, did it?

Almost tripping over the worn carpet, Trigger went to the front door, where his mum was talking to Del. His friend’s eye was red and swollen, and he was dabbing at a small cut just below his eyebrow with his handkerchief. Trig’s stomach clenched, and he immediately wanted to beat the crap out of whoever had hurt Del.

“...yeah, just banged me head on the table,” Del was saying, and he laughed like he’d just said something funny. “I’m a right clumsy plonker sometimes.”

Mum smiled. “You boys, honestly. You’re always getting yourselves hurt.”

“I know,” Del said. He looked past Mum and saw Trigger stood behind her. “Ah, Trig, hi. Can we have a chat? There’s something I want to tell you.”

Del was smiling and his voice had its usual jokey tone, but something told Trigger that the something Del wanted to tell him was serious.

“Um, yeah, course we can,” Trig said. “Mum, can me and Del go up to my room for a bit?”

Mum didn’t mind, so Trigger and Del went upstairs and into Trigger’s bedroom. As soon as he had shut the door, Del grabbed Trigger’s arm. Trigger saw his knuckles were grazed and oozing blood.

“What’s wrong, Del?” he asked.

“N-Nothing’s wrong, Trig,” Del said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Just something’s happened... w-with Dad.”

Del sat down on Trigger’s unmade bed. He took his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms across his chest.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Del nodded and then winced. Trigger wondered if he’d hurt his head. He waited for Del to speak, but his friend just sat there, staring into space.

“Why’re you hurt, Del?” Trigger said, trying to prompt Del as he sat down beside him.

Del sighed. “Dad went for Mum again.”

Trig knew what he was talking about. Del’s dad often hit his mum. Del tried to stop him, but he never had much success. Trig had never seen Del’s dad get violent; it must only have happened when the Trotters didn’t have any guests. He wanted to put his arm around Del, but he stopped himself.

“He hit her,” Del said, his voice flat. “Punched her in the face. Rodney was crying and Grandad was yelling at Dad and Mum was on the floor, bleeding, and I was so angry and...” Del trailed off, his voice breaking. He swallowed hard and managed to regain his composure; when he spoke again, his voice was wobbling slightly. “You see this?” he said, raising his swollen hand. “It’s not even from punching him. I didn’t get a chance. He walloped me and knocked me to the floor. He kicked the crap out of me and then left before I got up.”

Trigger shuffled closer, so their legs were touching. He expected Del to tell him to move, but Del said nothing. And then Del slumped against him, pressing their shoulders together. Trig’s heart was racing; he wanted to kiss Del, but he knew doing that might get the crap beaten out of him, and he certainly didn’t fancy getting arrested for homosexuality. Besides, this was about Del, not him.

“So... how’d your hand get so sore?” Trigger asked, immediately realising how stupid a question it was.

“I was so pissed off,” Del said. “I punched the shit out of the wall... But the worst thing is... Mum kept... she kept saying she was sorry.”

Del’s voice broke. Slowly, he took a deep breath, and Trig heard his breathing shudder. He looked at Del’s face, and his stomach flipped when he saw Del was blinking rapidly, like he was fighting back tears.

“Del?” he whispered.

Del gritted his teeth so hard Trig sound see a muscle twitching in his jaw. His eyes were shining, and his bottom lip twitched until Del clamped it between his teeth. Del’s hands were shaking, and he clenched them into tight, trembling fists.

It took Trigger a few more seconds to realise that Del really was trying his hardest not to cry. He couldn’t believe it. Del Boy never cried. This was so horrible. He needed to do something to help, but he didn’t know what to do...

Before he really knew what he was doing, Trigger leaned forwards and pressed his lips to Del’s. Del sat stiffly, and Trigger waited for him to push him away and hit him, but that didn’t happen. After about five seconds of sitting still, Del started to return the kiss. It was a soft, sweet kiss; Trig had never kissed another boy before, but it didn’t feel wrong.

They broke apart. Trig stared at Del, his heart beating so fast he could hear it in his ears.

“What... what was that for?” Del said, sounding dazed.

“Dunno,” Trig said, still wondering if Del was going to hit him. “Are you pissed off with me?”

Del stared at him. He started blinking rapidly again, and Trigger wondered if he was going to cry.

“Course I’m not, mate,” he said. “Course I’m not.”

And Del pulled Trigger into a tight hug, pressing his forehead against Trig’s chin. Trigger felt him tremble as he suppressed his sobs, wishing Del would just let himself cry. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“Does this mean you’re my boyfriend?” Trigger asked when Del let go of him.

Del chuckled, the sound getting dangerously close to a sob; he pressed his lips together to stop them wobbling and screwed his eyes up for a few seconds, before regaining control.

“Course it does, Trig,” Del said thickly, grinning at him as his eyes shone with unshod tears.

And, as he kissed him again, Trigger wondered how something so amazing could have come out of such a crappy situation.


End file.
